Sunday, December 14, 2008

Turkey and Dressing

Clay and I provided the turkey and dressing for a Progressive Dinner we had with friends this weekend. We had fun preparing the dishes together!

The turkey was completely FREE with a Kroger coupon (no purchase necessary)
Clay injected it with Tony's Injectable Marinade in Honey Bacon BBQ. He let it cook for several hours at 325 degrees. Clay also made a yummy turkey gravy.
The platter is on loan from my mom. Isn't it beautiful?
I made my mom's yummy chicken and cornbread dressing.
It is the BEST dressing you will ever have. It can be a meal all on it's on. Here's the recipe which will feed a large crowd. You can half the recipe for a smaller gathering.
Chicken and Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients:
1 whole fryer (I use 4 large chicken breasts to save time OR you can use an already cooked
Rotisserie chicken to save even more time :)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (I use 2 seasoning packs- frozen veggies- to save time)
1/2 cup butter
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 batches of cornbread (I use Jiffy corn muffin mix)
4-5 boiled eggs, chopped finely
1 bag of Fritos
2-3 cans of chicken broth (I use about 30 oz.)
Directions:
Boil eggs and set aside. Make cornbread and set aside. If using whole fryer, boil chicken in water, allow to cool, and debone. If using chicken breasts, cut into small chunks and cook over medium heat in large stock pot. Remove meat when meat turns white and is no longer pink. Add butter and veggies. Saute over medium heat until veggies are clear. Add meat back to pot. Stir in cream of mushroom soup. Add chopped boiled eggs. Break up chunks of cornbread and stir into soupy mixture. Crush bag of Fritos with hands and pour chips into mixture. Add chicken broth slowly. Stir often and stop adding broth when mixture appears creamy. You do not want it to be soupy. Place the dressing in a large casserole dish. It can either be refrigerated overnight or baked right away. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes with foil cover. Remove foil and bake an additional 30 minutes. Serve with turkey for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Enjoy!

God's Provision

A local men's Sunday School class serve the Lord by giving food to seminary families in need. We were the blessed recepients of this month's bounty. Two huge boxes of food were delivered to our door for FREE on Saturday morning. We were so surprised and honored to be given so much.


These groceries would be helpful no matter what, but they are especially helpful this month. Clay will be taking off of work so that we can travel home and spend time with family the week of Christmas. No work=no pay. These full boxes are just another way that God provides for our every need.
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
-Matthew 6:25-27

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

here's one of our recent dinners of beef stew over rice and cornbread
do you like my new Christmas dishes?? i got them at dollar tree! 4 bowls, 4 plates, and 4 place mats- $12!
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Weekly Menu
Breakfasts
Tuesday-- Oatmeal w/ brown sugar and cinnamon
Wednesday-- Sausage and biscuits
Thursday-- Yogurt parfaits and bagels
Friday-- Banana/PB Smoothies and toast
Saturday-- Pancakes and bacon
Sunday-- Eggs and toast
Monday-- Cereal
Lunches
Tuesday-- Thursday -- Sandwiches/leftovers
Friday-- Clay's Work Christmas Lunch
Saturday-- Sandwiches/leftovers
Sunday-- Leftovers
Monday-- Sandwiches/leftovers
Dinners
Tuesday-- Breakfast for Dinner- Sausage/egg skillet, potatoes, and biscuits
Wednesday-- Church Christmas Dinner- bringing corn casserole
Thursday-- Enchiladas and corn
Friday-- Homemade pizza and Chocolate-chip cookies
Saturday-- Progressive Dinner w/ friends- bringing FREE turkey and cornbread dressing
Sunday-- Cookie Exchange Party- bringing 2 dozen chocolate/peanut-butter cups
Monday-- Chicken Parmesan, pasta and sauce, broccoli, and TX toast

Friday, December 5, 2008

Tuesday Shopping Trip and Menu Plan

I know this posting is super late, but I thought I'd go ahead and share my shopping trip from this week and our menu plan.
I went to Town Talk and Wal-Mart on Tuesday. There weren't many good sales in the fliers. I guess all the good deals occurred last week for Thanksgiving, so all the stores were being skimpy this week. I still found some great deals at Town Talk and did some pretty good price-matching on produce at Wal-Mart.

How did I spend $10. 65 at Town Talk and get all this?
1. 8 apples = $1
2. 3 plum tomatoes = $1
3. Lipton Ranch Seasoning (2 packs) = $.89
4. 3 packs of Taco Bell Taco Seasoning = 3/$1
5. 3 packs of McCormick Enchilada Seasoning = 3/$1
6. Imagine Organic Beef Broth = $1.59
7. Del Monte Carrots (1/2 off of $.69) = $.35
8. 2 cans of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (1/2 off of $.99) = $.50 x 2 = $1
9. 1 can of Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (1/2 off of $.99) = $.50 (this is
usually over $1 a can!)
10. 1 can of Campbell's Tomato Soup (1/2 off of $.99) = $.50
11. 1 pack of Terra Kettle's Krinkle Cut Chips = $.79
12. 1 box of Betty Crocker Sour Cream Potatoes (1/2 off of $.99) = $.50
13. 1 11 oz. pkg. of Nestle Butterscotch Morsels = $.79
Total = $10.65 (no food tax in TX)
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Menu Plan for 12.2.08-12.8.08
Breakfasts:
Tuesday - Cereal and milk
Wednesday - Oatmeal with apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon
Thursday - Yogurt parfaits and bagels with cream cheese
Friday - Eggs and Toast
Saturday - Beignets (my dad sent me home with Cafe' Du Monde's Beignet mix from New
Orleans :)
Sunday - Breakfast Burritos
Monday - Cereal
Lunches:
Tuesday - Sandwiches/leftovers
Wednesday - Sandwiches/leftovers
Thursday - Day date with Clay! (Noah-sandwich at school)
Friday- Sandwiches/leftovers
Saturday - Sandwiches/leftovers
Sunday - Leftovers
Monday - Sandwiches/leftovers
Dinners:
Tuesday - Breakfast for Dinner- French toast, bacon, and apples
Wednesday - Church Care Group Meal - bring salad
Thursday - Taco Soup and Puppy Chow
Friday - Date with Clay (Wow 2 in 1 Week! Noah eats pizza at Kids' Night Out.)
Saturday - Chicken Mitchell (family recipe), green beans, and rolls
Sunday - Frozen Meal (probably Chili Colorado that my mom sent home with me :)
Monday - Beef Stew and Cornbread